Duck season to open this week

Duck season to open this week

WILD duck shooting season opens in Tasmania on March 8 and closes on June 9.

Authorities have reminded licensed hunters of the rules about the wild duck hunting season.

Resource management and conservation general manager of Alistair Scott, of the Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment, said the season was restricted to five species of waterfowl with each licensed hunter having a daily bag limit of no more than 10 wild ducks.

``Duck populations in Tasmania are subject to annual monitoring by DPIPWE and bag limits can be adjusted to ensure that the harvest is sustainable,'' he said.

``Hunters wanting to take wild ducks must have passed a Waterfowl Identification Test, have purchased a game licence to hunt wild duck from Service Tasmania and have permission of the landowner on whose land they are hunting.

``We encourage all hunters to abide by the rules and regulations throughout the season and remind them that DPIPWE wildlife rangers will be monitoring the activities of duck hunters and, where necessary, enforce those requirements.''

Taking wild duck in reserves is banned, with the exception of Moulting Lagoon Game Reserve (excluding the area known as ``The Sanctuary''), Lake

More information on rules and regulations about duck hunting, including Animal Welfare Guidelines (Duck Hunting - the Code of Practice for the Hunting of ducks in Tasmania), is available at visit www.dpipwe.tas.gov.au.